BEAUFORT - Giant excavators attacked Staff Sgt. Bill Dickinson's house Wednesday morning to make way for the deployed Marine's new home, through the popular ABC reality TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

Dickinson learned of the project Tuesday morning via teleconference at the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

The career Marine deployed in November with MALS-31, leaving behind his wife, India, and their five children: Grant, 16, Briana, 14, James, 10, Robin, 8, and Sophia, 1.

The family was chosen from hundreds of applicants after the show's producers learned the house was making the family sick due to mold that grew inside after it flooded. It was unsafe, too, with exposed electrical wiring and unfinished flooring.

India Dickinson and the children left early Wednesday morning for Orlando, Fla., and a week-long vacation at Disney World.

Meanwhile, thousands of volunteers from all over Beaufort County, will pitch in this week, round the clock, to finish building a home in about 106 hours.

A new foundation was poured Wednesday night.

The fast-paced building and filming process sometimes doesn't always go as planned.

Fiery debris from an explosion (which will apparently be edited later to simulate a bombing run over the house) fell on a backpack worn by Savannah-based photographer Paul Nurnberg while he was documenting the TV show's film crew. The backpack caught on fire and Nurnberg was tackled to the ground by three H2 Builders workers and the fire was put out. Nurnberg was OK and only suffered some singed hair and a melted backpack. His equipment was OK, too.

As Nurnberg got up off the ground, he said, "Now that's extreme."

Check it out

The build site will be open to spectators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Spectator parking is available in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot in the Royal Oaks Shopping Center, located at the corner of Mossy Oaks and Ribaut roads in Beaufort. Be sure to bring a nonperishable food item for donation. The Boys & Girls Club of Beaufort will donate the food to local families in need. To learn more and get daily updates, visit www.extrememakeoverbeaufortcounty.com